


Begin Again

by WatercolorSunrise



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Happy Ending, Post Ray Route
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-05
Updated: 2019-09-05
Packaged: 2020-10-10 18:15:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20532422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WatercolorSunrise/pseuds/WatercolorSunrise
Summary: You know that part in Seven’s route where Seven shows Saeran the pictures of him and he goes into denial? I’ve always wondered what that scene would be like from the perspective of Saeran’s route. These are my ideas for that, leading into some of my ideas about how his after ending could go! *Prays for actual afterend*This was written for Saeran Choi Week 2019 on Tumblr for the prompt Afterendings.





	Begin Again

MC and Saeran have been staying in Saeyoung’s bunker for a while now. It’s strange, even though she’s never met him in real life, MC still feels his absence. The place carries so much of his personality it feels like he’ll walk through the door any minute. **  
**

They don’t plan on staying here forever, they want a place to call their own, a place that feels like theirs but for now, it’s a blessing to have a place to stay free of charge and with everything they need while the couple gets on their feet. 

As they accumulate their own belongings though, they find the need to start to pack some of Saeyoung’s stuff away for now. They haven’t given up hope that he’s still out there. Saeran had even found some good leads he had sent to the C&R Intelligence Unit earlier this week. 

“I’d feel it if he was gone.” Saeran had said one night after a long session of searching CCTV’s for any hint of his brother. “I just know I would. I’m sorry. I probably sound insane to you.”

But MC understood. She always understood. If Saeran believed Saeyoung was still out there then so would she. But she still had to get some of his stuff away. Her book collection needed a little more space, and it wasn’t like Saeyoung even had that many books on his office’s bookshelf anyway - maybe about ten or so accompanied by boxes of small electronic components she couldn’t make sense of. 

She nestles the smaller boxes into a larger one then begins to take the few books off the shelf. As she picks up a particular book - a children’s book that she does think much of at first - something clatters to the ground next to her foot. 

She bends down, retrieves a small square of plastic, realizing its a floppy disk. “Who uses floppy disks anymore? I didn’t realize Seven was an antique collector.” She comments, turning the item around in her hands looking for a label, there isn’t any though. 

Saeran turns around in his computer chair, curious. “Let me see?” he asks, holding his hand out, she hands it over and he gives it a similar inspection. 

MC’s eyes scan the minor monstrosity that is Saeyoung’s work area, although Saeran has attempted to clean and organize the wires and various components that make it up, it’s still a mess to her. “Does he even have a floppy disk reader?” She asks. 

She watches as her boyfriend opens and closes multiple desk drawers, then stands and leaves the room. Moments later he returns with a small drive in hand.

“I thought I saw one somewhere, he had this in a kitchen cabinet behind some old cereal boxes.” He shrugs, although he wants to reunite with his twin he doesn’t pretend to understand the man’s methods of organization, or anything else for that matter. He hands her the cable. “Can you plug that into a USB port for me? There should be some open on the back still.”

“I think I can manage that!” MC says.”What do you think is on it?” She asks, from underneath the desk as she plugs the reader in. 

“Memes? An old 8-bit video game? His senior thesis?” Saeran says, honestly baffled but what in the world his brother could have stored on a media form that has not been widely used since they were children. 

He pops the disk into the drive and goes to open the folder, but it’s in encrypted, of course it is. Saeran makes quick work of the encryption but is stunned when the encryption leads him to a string of personal questions. Questions that could only be answered by two people on earth. He takes a sharp inhale of breath.

“What is it?” MC asks eagerly. 

“I… I think he meant for me to find this?” Saeran says, working his way down the list of questions. “I’m the only person that would know the answers to these, besides him.” He adds, filling in the answer for what the twins did on their 6th birthday while their mother was passed out in the kitchen. 

He reaches the end of the questionnaire and finally gains access to the files stored on the disk. Photos of a young red-haired, golden-eyed boy fill the screen. 

Saeran scoffs, “Why does he have a hard drive full of pictures of himself.” He says MC can hear the slight offense in his voice. 

“That’s not him.” She says plainly. 

“W-what do you mean?” He asks, staring up at her from his seat, wide-eyed.

“That’s you, My Love.” He calmly says. 

“N-no it’s not, I don’t remember any of this,” he says. “Why do you think it’s me?”

“You have a mole on your neck, right side, just below your jawline. See?” She points out the mole on the multiple pictures populating the screen before lightly brushing the same mole on his person. “Saeyoung doesn’t have it. That’s you.”

“How? No that can’t be. That makes no sense.” He says, getting up from the desk and disappearing into the hall. MC follows him but allows him some space. 

“I look happy! I look normal there!” The crack in his voice is apparent. 

MC’s heart lurches to see him in pain, she never wants to see him in pain again, but she’s afraid the fight will never be over for her love. She watches as he sits on the leather sofa and places his head in his hands. When he looks up again tears are trailing the expanse of his pale face. 

“He really did think I was ok, didn’t he? He thought I was happy.” He had suspected this, of course, had mostly accepted it, but at this moment it truly hits him for real. Saeyoung was fed lies too. He thought he was doing what was right, what was best for him. And Rika had Saeyoung tangled up in her lies just as much as him. The enormity of just how deeply the tendrils of lies reach hits him hard, and he cries. 

MC sits down next to him and takes him into her arms, cradling him softly and running her hands through his hair. “It’s ok, we’re going to find him and you two are going to have a long talk. We’re going to figure it out. I’m going to help you figure this out.”

He moves to hug her, burying his face in the shoulder. “Thank you.” he chokes out, tears seeping through her t-shirt. 

After a few minutes, his sobs calm “Hey.” She says gently, rubbing his back. 

“Mm?” he responds raising his head from its spot. 

“You were a pretty cute kid.” She says smiling and wiping a tear from under his eye. 

He chuckles through another sob. “Thanks.” He says simply. 

Suddenly Saeran’s phone begins to ring in the other room. He inhales deeply and wipes his face as he gets up, retracing his steps back to the office to answer it. 

He taps the answer button near Jumin’s name and steadies his voice in greeting. “Hello?”

“Saeran,” Jumin says in his usual steady, deep voice. “We think we’ve found him.”

—–

Saeran and MC stand near a black C&R van as the largest amount of security and KPA officers either have them have ever seen storm an expensive-looking residence on the mountainside. After all the claims against Prime Minister Choi were confirmed legitimate it wasn’t long before warrants of his arrest were filed, after which conveniently disappeared. 

MC watches as Saeran nervously paces the small space at the bottom of the hill leading up to the residence, periodically biting his nails, then stopping himself.

An entire lifetime seems to pass before two of Jumin’s largest security officers drag a handcuffed, now former, Prime Minister out of the house. 

Saeran’s blood runs cold as their eyes meet for just half a second before the man is shoved into a vehicle and promptly driven away. His chest shakes and he tries to steady his breathing. After a few minutes, he’s managed to calm himself a bit. 

Moments later the doors open again, Revealing a long-haired brunette man repeating how he doesn’t need help and a very familiar shock of red hair following closely behind him. 

MC gasps, and before she can even register what is happening her boyfriend is gone, running up the hill in clumsy steps. She watches as he almost slips three times. She then realizes Saeyoung is running to meet him. Her heart swells at the heartwarming moment the twins embrace each other. She almost can’t believe this is happening at all but it is. 

“Saeran?” Saeyoung says in an exhausted voice. “That’s really you right?” He’s both unsure because this is too good to be true, and because his glasses have been missing for so long he forgets what clear vision is like. 

“Yea - yea it’s me,” Saeran responds, tears threatening his eyes again, but this time they are not sad tears. “I-It’s me.” 

“Thank God. Thank you, God.” The older twin breathes. Squeezing his brother so tightly, almost like he might float away if he doesn’t. 

“You were the hacker, weren’t you?” Saeyoung asks, already sure of the answer but still in need of confirmation. 

“Yes, I’m sorry.” Saeran answers “I’m so sorry”

“Me too.” Saeyoung answers. “I think… I think we have a lot to talk about.”

Saeran scoffs into his brother’s shoulder. “Yea,” is all he says. 

—-

A few weeks later Saeran and MC sit on the couch in Saeyoung’s bunker once again, but this time everything is different. There is no looming absence anymore. The void Searan has felt for the past several years has finally been filled again. His brother is back and never meant to abandon him. Although he has to remind himself of this several times a day. The two of them still have a lot to work out in therapy, but they are together again. 

The news is on TV as the two of them sit, holding hands. Saeran rubs the back of MC’s hand gently as the announcer begins the evening’s updates.

“Former Prime Minister Saejoong Choi has been sentenced to as little as 40 years in prison as of Tuesday.”

Suddenly Saeyoung’s voice comes from the hall as he enters the living room “Haha, YEA Suck it Old Man.” He exclaims excitedly as he plops himself down on the armchair adjacent to his couch. 

“It would seem his career in the public eye is all but over, the man who was once adored by a nation is now behind bars. In the end, Choi ended up with over 107 charges against him but it would seem that one of his more heinous crimes was against his own blood, his twin sons. Kept secret from the world and cursed to grow up in poverty, and abuse. The county that once revered Saejoong Choi has now adjusted their affections onto the Choi Twins.” 

MC watches as photos of the twins appear on the screen, Saeran becomes instantly uncomfortable as Saeyoung becomes quite the opposite.

“Can you believe this? Us? On TV?” Zen’s probably already jealous, we look amazing in those pictures too.” He says, legs bouncing in excitement. 

“The older of the twins, Saeyoung Choi has been rated Korea’s Most Eligible Bachelor, a position that C&R’s Jumin Han has held for the past several years.” 

Saeyoung doubles over in laughter as he hears this. “Poor Juju, All that work he did to help us too.”

“I don’t think Jumin ever really wanted that position to begin with,” MC tells him. “I hope you’re ready Saeyoung.” She continues, almost ominously. 

“Oh, I’m ready” Saeyoung accepts, a mischievous grin gracing his features. “But Korea’s not ready to learn that I am forever in love with my dearest Elly, and so they will lose both of their most eligible bachelors to her impeccable beauty!”

“It would seem that many people we surveyed on the street were disappointed to hear that the other Choi twin, Saeran is undoubtedly “off the market”.” The announcer continues.

The TV cuts to a scene from last week, Saeran had thought he could pick up a few things from the convenience store without being bothered but he inevitably thought wrong. In the video, Saeran stands holding a carton of ice cream he had freshly picked from the freezers of the store, surrounded by several news personnel. 

“Saeran Choi, The nation is dying to know, do you have a girlfriend?”

In the video, Saeran fidgets for a second before taking a breath and speaking. “Yes, I have a girlfriend, and I love her very much. In fact if not for her I would not be standing here today, and neither would you. I would very much appreciate respect for both her and our relationship as I will not tolerate anything else.” 

A light blush appears on Saeran’s cheeks, embarrassed and uncomfortable with being in the public eye and seeing himself on TV.

MC, on the other hand, is filled with adoration, promptly throwing her hands over her boyfriend’s shoulders in a tight embrace. 

“Bro, that was so cool.” Saeyoung says, stunned at his brother’s calm collectiveness on camera. 

“Babe, that was so sweet.” MC says, nuzzling her boyfriend’s sweater. 

“It’s only the truth, as long as it’s up to me, I won’t let anything or anyone come between us.” He says. 

“Nothing is ever going to come between us.” MC confirms, giving him a quick peck on the lips. 

“Should I leave you two alone? I could see if Yoosung needs some company for a while?”

Saerans already apparent blush becomes much deeper “No! No of course not. This is your house, remember?.”

“Mmhmm” Saeyoung hums, “ Well, you just let me know if the County’s Sweethearts need some ‘Alone Time’” he says teasingly as he retreats back down the hallway. 

Saeran breathes out, relieved to be free from his brother’s teasing, but also relieved to be able to be teased by his brother, it’s been far, far too long. 

Even if he’ll never completely understand his brother or his motivations, even if his jokes still sometimes grate on him the wrong way, they’re together. They are brothers again, not enemies and it feels better than he had ever imagined. Their father is in prison, where he aptly belongs. There are still things that need to be figured out, the Mint Eye issue will need to be taken care of next, but with him on the RFA’s side this time around he knows they will be a force to be reckoned with. 

He has MC, He has Saeyoung, He has everything he needs and his life feels like it is finally beginning. 


End file.
